


Eight Blissful Weeks of Silence

by AlexTheShipper



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Childhood Trauma, Dysfunctional Family, Family Issues, Gen, Ghosts, Haunting, Injury, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Pre-Canon, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 03:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18229340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexTheShipper/pseuds/AlexTheShipper
Summary: There was a reason Klaus talked as much as he did growing up, he had to talk to drown at the screams of ghosts, and then he fell down the stairs and suddenly he couldn't speak anymore.





	Eight Blissful Weeks of Silence

**Author's Note:**

> not really a happy ending, not a particularly upsetting ending, but not happy.

“Mom has the best shoes guys.” Klaus says, blurting out whatever comes to mind as his recently stolen heels clack against the floor. “Like seriously look how tall I am. Look how good my legs look.” Klaus babbles, sticking his leg out at Luther.

“Klaus, just shut up already.” Luther grumbled, and Klaus glanced at him for a moment, considered actually doing it, he knew he was annoying, knew the constant talking irritated his siblings. He looked around, trying his best to ignore the woman with a bloody hole in the center of her chest.

“ _LOOK AT ME!”_ She screamed, he averted his eyes, taking in Ben with his face hidden behind a book, Five sending him a glare, and Allison looking expectant. “ _LOOK_!” The ghost screams.

“No can-do Number One, Numero Uno, Nummer Eins. No can do, I’ve just got far too many important things to say.” He says, voice a little loud in his attempt to drown out the screaming wonder.

“Give it a rest Klaus!” Diego calls out, and he would love to, but he really can’t afford to not when screaming murdered lady is joined by a woman Klaus mentally refers to as the wailing widow.

“As I said, no can do my dude.” Klaus sing songs, trying his best to keep the strain out of his tone. “You know this baby doesn’t have any sort of off switch.” He gestures to his mouth, and avoids shivering at the sight of a man with his jaw unhinged.

“If you can’t shut up the door is that way.” Ben says, gesturing to the door without even looking up from his book. That stings honestly Klaus is hurt.

“Where is the brotherly love you guys? c’mon.” Klaus whines, giving all of them his best pout, it’s wasted when Ben doesn’t even bother to look up. “C’mon Five you love my voice, right?” Klaus asks, and pointedly ignores the ghost screaming in his face. As long as he keeps talking, he can pretend she isn’t there.

“I’m with them Klaus.” Five says, but otherwise stays out of it. Five doesn’t get as annoyed with him as much, mostly because he can teleport away at any time leaving Klaus to talk to himself, which is fine and only a little hurtful.

“The door.” Luther says, and they do deserve some peace and quiet, it’s just nice to only have to do half the work drowning the ghosts out. Klaus leaves.

“It’s not my fault you all can’t appreciate me, at least Allison and Vanya love me!” He says in faux offence. He knows the others think he’s stupid, and dramatic, and too talkative, but he cannot sit in silence, there’s no such thing when the ghosts never stop.

He heads up the stairs muttering to himself. “Shut up Klaus, go away Klaus, you’re annoying Klaus.” He grumbles, stomping his way up each step. “Do they think I don’t know? Of course, I know, but what choice do I have.” The groaning ghost trailed up the stairs behind him. “I don’t want to listen to my voice all day either, but there are worse things.” He says, pointedly not glancing at the ghosts following him. “Much worse.” He’s nearly to the top when it happens, his foot slips, and all of a sudden, he’s falling.

There’s a chill as he passes through the ghost, and he twists around trying to catch himself. It’s too late, and his jaw slams into the stair as he falls. He screams, can’t help it and the world spins. He lands at the bottom of the stairs and his body feels like Dad asked him to spar with Luther. His jaw feels like Luther took it seriously.

He groans, as the others rush out to see what happened, there’s a scream in his ear, and then he blacks out.

-

When Klaus wakes up his mouth is wired shut and Mom is hovering over him.

“Help!” A ghost shrieks from the corner of the room. “Help me!” Klaus tries to open his mouth and pain shoots through his skull, and his vision blurs, he’s about to try it again anyways, anything to drown out the screaming when Mom does it for him.

“You broke your Jaw Klaus Honey, I’m afraid you’re going to have it wired shut for a few weeks.” She says, and her voice is soft and sympathetic, but Klaus can already feel the panic setting in. Weeks? Of Silence. He can’t be silent for weeks; the dead will eat him. He shakes his head, ignoring the pain it causes. This can’t be happening.

“You need to relax Honey.” Mom says, and then the darkness comes back. The next time Klaus wakes up only the ghosts are there, and there’s nothing he can do to drown them out. He curls up in the corner and covers his ears, the clock reads 9 PM, and no matter how hard he tries he cannot block out the noise.

It’s 6 AM and Klaus’ cheeks are tear streaked, his heart racing in his chest. He hasn’t slept a wink and he isn’t sure if he will for the next few weeks, but at 6am Klaus finally get’s some relief.

Music drifts through the walls as Vanya begins practice, and finally Klaus can breathe. He falls asleep just before half past six, and surprisingly no one comes to bother him. He doubts this leniency will extend past today, but when he wakes up again it’s been nearly 24 hours.

-

“Well hello sleepy.” Diego greets, with a shit eating grin. There’s mockery in his voice, but Klaus doesn’t care the ghosts are still following his every step, Diego could say anything he wanted he just can’t shut up. Luckily breakfast is always a noisy affair, Klaus waves at him.

“Are you okay? We were so worried.” Vanya says, pulling him into a hug and then leaning back to look him over, he’s bruised all over, but the worse of it is definitely his face, jaw swollen and purple. “You poor thing.” He doesn’t need her sympathy, but he does love being fawned over. “Mom made you a smoothie.” He notices the glare she shoots Diego’s way, and if he could he would stick his tongue out at his brother.

 “Here you go sweetie.” Mom says, handing him a cup, and he smiles as best he can.

“Thanks mom.” Vanya says, and Diego smiles at the robot. Klaus sits down while the others eat, and focuses on the sound of their voices. He’s self-aware enough to admit that he doesn’t care what they’re talking about, doesn’t care if they spend the next few weeks ridiculing him for his silence, as long as they don’t shut up.

He can feel his panic building every time the conversation lulls, and while his siblings bask in comfortable silence he drowns in the screams of the dead.

-

Eight weeks later feels like years, but Klaus has never been more relieved than the day they set his mouth free, and no matter how annoying his siblings think he is he revels in the ability to drown out the ghosts again.

 

-Present day-

“Last time you were this quiet, we were 12. Fell down the stairs wearing Grace's heels, tripped over, and broke your jaw. How long was it wired shut again?” Diego teases, and Klaus is glad that he’s too busy driving to look, glad he can’t see the haunted look in Klaus’ eyes at the memory of those days of silence.

“Eight weeks.” He says, matter of factly, Ben gives him a pitying look, knowing all the words Klaus won’t say. It hadn’t felt like eight weeks it had felt like a life time.

“Eight glorious weeks of bliss.” Diego says, and Klaus shakes his head, tries to shake off the memory, but the ghosts are still screaming.

“Let me out here.” He says instead.  He even manages to wait for the car to stop before getting out. 


End file.
